Improvements for Turkish minorities

The New York Times ran a story last week that showed some of the positive effects of recent political reforms in Turkey. The focus of the piece is on the significantly lowered barriers to entry into politics for various Turkish minorities - from Alevis to Kurds and Christians.

“There has been a kind of rapprochement” between the Turkish state and its religious minorities, Mr. Aktar [professor of sociology at Bilgi University] said, citing steps like the recent appointment of an Armenian to the Foreign Ministry in Ankara, a first in the history of the republic.

“Minorities are now more at ease in politics,” he added.

The article, written by Susanne Güsten, is well worth reading as a counterweight to the negative reporting on what I termed the Turkish "media wars" that has tended to dominate recent coverage of Turkey in the EU and the US. The truth about Turkey is, as usual, more complex than it seems at first glance.

Big Changes Open Politics to Turkish Minorities - NYTimes.com